Sacrifice for Love
by musicalinara
Summary: Tadashi has been found, revealing that he had a crush on a girl from another place. The girl arrives not only with news of his revival, but also Callaghan's escape with more dangers up his sleeve. Will Hiro be able to stop Callaghan before he destroys all of San Fransokyo?
1. Chapter 1--The Call

**A.N.-Hey guys! So I previously uploaded this on Instagram so this may sound a little unprepared. Give me a bit of time and I'll try my best to make this beginning less crappy.**

Chapter 1—The call

Ever since Professor Callaghan's arrest and Baymax has been rebuilt, my friends and I have been helping out the people of San Fransokyo together. After all, that was what my brother, Tadashi, wanted to do. So with me riding on Baymax, Gogo Tomago skating away on her electromagnetic wheels, Honey Lemon creating chemical compound bombs on the fly, Wasabi dancing away with his laser-induced plasma blades, and Fred jumping and breathing fire all over the place, we couldn't have been a better representation of what Tadashi wanted. We did eventually stop a lot of crime in San Fransokyo, and everyone had been grateful to us since. I kept smiling whenever I heard that. Tadashi would be proud.

It has been a couple months now and there was this one day when I was working on a project for Alistair Krei in my garage back home. This was just so that his business could actually flourish again, after the portal that Callaghan rebuilt destroyed everything. It was a beautiful day outside with the sun shining, beckoning me to go outside and spend some time in the beautiful outdoors, but I had to remind myself that Krei needed those microbots. He needed his business up and running again.

Just then, the phone rang. Should I pick up? People rarely call us nowadays. The last time we ever used the phone, Aunt Cass was talking with our lawyer. Yeesh. I never paid attention to that conversation. I just walked away because it was about...well...Tadashi's death and stuff. He never left a will, which was funny. Anyway, so now that I hear the phone ring, who could it be?

I picked up the phone. "Hello?" I asked cautiously into the mouthpiece.

"Hey. Are you a member of the Big Hero 6?" a woman's voice asked on the other end of the line.

Thank god, it wasn't Aunt Cass. She'd be freaking out if she knew I was working with a super hero team. "Yes I am," I answered.

"This is Hiro, right?" the woman inquired.

"Yes it is," I answered.

"I need your help," she said. "There seems to be something weird going on in a back alley not too far from my house. Every day there seems to be some weird homeless person going in and out of a makeshift room with boxes stacked all over. He looks starved, sick, and weak. I didn't dare go near him though, he looked absolutely filthy. What's strange is that every night when we go to bed, he always seem to say 'Hiro, I'm sorry' over and over in his sleep. I don't know what to do about it."

I pondered over the woman's situation. So this sounds more or less like a personal thing, and I shouldn't call the rest of the team to help. But if this person turned out to be someone who resents me, I would preferably have their backs. Besides, who knows who it might be? I encounter so many people throughout my life, so meeting any one of those people would either be awesome or awkward.

"That's…strange," I eventually concluded, after giving this some thought. "Whoever this homeless man was, I may have had some connection to him. Or he, me. Where do you live?" I asked her.

She quickly gave me her address. I realized she lived pretty close to the Institute, so we actually don't have a long way to travel.

"Thanks," I told her. "We will be there as soon as possible."

"Alright then, see you soon," the woman replied.

We hung up, and I turned to Baymax, who was, of course at that moment, deactivated and asleep in his red case.

"Ow," I said.

The instance I gave the indication that I was hurt, Baymax unfolded from his red case and asked me, "What seems to be the trouble?"

"There's a woman who lives not too far from campus who needs our help. A strange homeless man seems to be giving her the creeps," I answered. "But that's not the only thing. This homeless man somehow has a connection to me. I don't know how."

Baymax thought about it. "That definitely sounds like an emergency," he said. "Let's call our friends."


	2. Chapter 2--To the Alley!

Chapter 2—To the alley!

Baymax and I quickly ran to our lab in the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology—or rather, I dragged him there. At least I found an excuse for stopping my work on the microbots to go outside. I don't understand though-who was this man? Who would have possibly known me and asked me for forgiveness in his sleep? I decided to put that thought aside. At that moment, the afternoon sun warmed me up and made me feel really comfortable.

Once we got to the Institute and into our lab, we saw our friends working on different things. As usual, Gogo was working on her electromagnetic suspension wheels to make new rollerblades, Honey Lemon was working on another chemical mixture to make her hair turn into different rainbow colours, Wasabi was working on incorporating his laser-induced plasma for new kitchen knives, and Fred was just cruising around in a monster suit.

I smiled. In their normal states, everyone was just so easy and friendly around each other. So laid back and relaxing were the times we spent together whenever we weren't fighting crime. I remembered them helping me with the microbots, while Tadashi was still alive. What's interesting was, whenever it came to fighting crime, we still managed to stick together. We may not be able to get the same "relaxation" and ease as we had in our normal lives, but helping people was what we wanted to do, and I was glad to have them around. Believe it or not, we seem to actually share a really strong bond.

"Hey guys!" I called to their attention.

"Hey Hiro, my man," Fred greeted me, clapping me hard on the back. Everyone else started crowding around me too, giving me high fives.

I grinned, but then got down to business.

"I need your help," I told them. Then I relayed the problem to them in a low whisper, even though no one else was around.

"That sounds pretty serious," Honey Lemon commented eventually. "Creepy, for sure, but serious. There are rarely any homeless people around here, are there?"

"I don't think so," I said. "At least, I haven't seen any so far."

"And what is this about the homeless man somehow knowing you?" Wasabi inquired. "It can't be Callaghan again, can't it? I can't imagine him escaping from prison. I don't see how we can defeat him a second time if he gets to be more dangerous."

"Or Yama," I added, shivering. "God, he was the very first guy I beat in my first bot fight. He seemed to dislike me greatly ever since."

"I'd say, we should help her," Gogo decided. "We'll finish our projects later. Not like we can use Hiro for cheats. Whoever this homeless guy is, he definitely needs our help too, especially since he asks for Hiro's forgiveness."

"I'm down to help!" Wasabi and Fred chorused, and I smiled.

"I'll help too," Honey Lemon said, putting her test tubes down and coming over to us.

"Great," I said. "Let's get changed into our armour and meet at the main campus entrance in 10 minutes."

So we all ran off to change into our gear. Of course, I had to struggle with putting Baymax's armour on, since he is so big, but I managed it. After putting my own armour on, we ran outside. Everyone was already out and ready to go by then.

"Great," I remarked. "Okay, so Baymax would lead the way since I told him where she lives. Just follow closely behind us and don't get lost."

"Don't worry Hiro," Wasabi assured us. "We've got this all under control."

"Alright then," I said. Then I got onto Baymax's back, and we soared away to the alley, everyone else running behind us.


	3. Chapter 3--At the alley

Chapter 3—At the alley

"Man, it stinks!" I said, the moment we touched down and I leaped off of Baymax's back. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Baymax looked at me and blinked. "I recommend moving elsewhere."

"But this is where the woman said she lived!" I protested. "And if I'm not mistaken, this may very well also be where the guy lived. I'm pretty sure it's the right area."

A couple seconds later, my friends all appeared by my side, all panting and trying to catch their breath (except for Gogo).

"So the homeless guy was living in a pile of boxes," Gogo confirmed with me, peering into the dark alleyway before her eyes rested on a spot. "Is that it?"

Wasabi lit his blades and held them out like torches. "I think so!"

I scanned the area. There seemed to be only one pile of boxes there, anyway. The rest of the alleyway was littered with rats and scrap pieces of food. "Are you sure the woman who called me actually lived here? I have never been around here."

"I have never been around this area either," Honey Lemon said, pinching her nose at the stink. "It stinks!" She punched a couple buttons on her periodic table purse and created a bomb that took away most of the stink.

"I think I'm going to faint," I said. "But I have to see who's in there. I'll go alone."

"Hiro, stay safe and healthy," Baymax said, giving me a hug.

"I will," I promised him, nodding solemnly. Then I ventured out into the gloom alone.

The alleyway surely did stink of rotten bananas, though Honey Lemon's bomb covered the smell somewhat. I can't understand how some people can get used to the circumstances of these areas. Rats were scampering all over the place, and spiders hung down from the roofs. By far, this was the stinkiest and worst alleyway I have been in. How can one survive in these conditions? Even the alleyways I had to travel through to follow Baymax and my jiggling microbot weren't that bad.

I reached the pile of boxes. Whoever built this must have had an eye for architecture. The boxes were all stacked in a way that the walls were sturdy without the glue. There must have been some weight to keep the boxes in place as well, but I couldn't really tell. Maybe there are stones? Books? I wasn't too sure. I tapped on the pile of boxes with one finger and waited.

A man in his early 20s fell out of the pile and landed at my feet. From what I saw, maybe I misjudged his architectural skill. But looking at him, I couldn't help but feel sorry. His body was full of burnt marks and bruises, and his hair was messy and disheveled. His clothes were smudged with a lot of coal and dirt, and some holes were peppered in his green cardigan. He wasn't wearing any shoes or socks. He held in his hand a sandwich, somewhat similar to the ones that Aunt Cass makes in her café. Probably some stranger actually did give something to him.

I glared at him and retracted the face shield on my helmet. "You're scaring a citizen of San Fransokyo," I said. "Move out if you don't want trouble."

But the man just coughed and looked at me wearily.

"Hiro. I'm sorry," he murmured, going completely slack at the last word.

I froze.


	4. Chapter 4--Tadashi's story

Chapter 4—Tadashi's story

I stared at the man again. I could have sworn that last time I saw him, it was before he headed into the Institute to rescue Professor Callaghan. Something about his face seemed familiar beyond the black charred marks and the scars and the black eye that he must have gotten recently. In fact, I couldn't believe that I would see him again. After his death, I never dared say the name again, not after I realized that one of the people who was believed to have died in that fired had survived and stole my microbots for evil. But his voice…something about it brought back so many memories.

"T-Tadashi?" I asked uncertainly, with an audible quaver in my voice. "Is that you?"

The man looked at me, and smiled weakly. I knew it from that smile that he recognized me, even with all the scary armour. I was right.

"Hiro! It IS you, isn't it?" he asked in disbelief, sitting up and widening his eyes.

"Uh, yeah," I said, a smile spreading across my face.

The man was grinning from ear to ear now. "Fist bump!" he cried, and we performed our little handshake, even though he was still sitting and couldn't get up. He still remembered it, which surprised me.

"Oh man, I thought I'd never see you again!" I cried in relief, hugging him excitedly.

Tadashi smiled as he returned the hug. It felt so good having my brother back—I felt safe with his arms around me again.

"But what happened to you?" I asked. "The fire, the explosion—you should have died."

The last time I said those words, it was when I realized that the man in the mask, Yokai, turned out to be Professor Callaghan, the man I trusted and looked up to as an idol. But I doubt Tadashi would become villainous, even if he started creeping that woman out. I trust Tadashi with all my heart, even if he had disappeared on us like that for months now.

Just before Tadashi could answer me, the woman came out of her house, and I held my breath. Somehow, the woman standing in front of me looked really familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen her before.

"You're Hiro, right?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I nodded. "And this is Tadashi, my older brother."

The woman stared. "But I thought he died in the fire at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology!"

"I'll explain," Tadashi said. He took a deep breath, and began his story.

"As I ran in to rescue Professor Callaghan, the building exploded, all right. The moment that happened, I flew out of a window, smashing the glass in the process, and landed on a patch of grass. Luckily, no glass got into my system. But instead of running back to Hiro saying that I was okay, I ran away and lived in this alley for a while. At that point I had some money on me, but I had to disguise myself because everyone thought I was dead. I can't argue, since the fire was pretty bad. Strutting around in public trying to get clothes and live on my own would be a bad choice since everyone would probably see me as a zombie from the dead or something. So I covered myself in dirt and coal dust and messed my hair up, the same way that Hiro did. I didn't have my hat with me so I didn't have to worry about looking too recognizable.

"After a while, I realized that I can't go anywhere without people freaking out and realizing that I came back from the dead. That's why I stayed here. Trust me, I still got along fine, making money by making smaller robots that moved around and entertained the smaller children around here. But I miss campus. I thought about you all day, every day, and I felt really guilty for not telling you where I was. So I think you heard that every night when I sleep I kept muttering 'Hiro, I'm sorry'. Sorry to scare you, by the way," he apologized to the woman. The woman just nodded.

He then turned toward me. "Why are you wearing all that armour? I don't remember you wearing this on a daily basis." Then he started to look around wildly in a panic. "Oh no. What about Baymax? What about my friends—Honey Lemon, Gogo, Wasabi, Fred? Are they here? Did you put armour on everyone?"

"Hey buddy, I'm getting there," I said. "Calm down." Then I told him how I realized that Callaghan stole my microbots after that showcase night and hid the neuro-cranial transmitter in his mask to become a new super-villain Yokai, Baymax has been upgraded to have some fighting and flying skills, everyone else has been upgraded with their specialties to defeat Yokai, and how we saved Krei and Callaghan's daughter and destroyed all the microbots—as well as the first Baymax, of course, sacrificing him in the portal that Yokai created. I also told him about the revival of Baymax since I found his chip in his rocket fist, and we have all been saving the world since then.

"And I thought that Professor Callaghan was trustworthy," Tadashi said, shaking his head. "I can't believe he decided to turn against all of us. Is Aunt Cass okay?" Tadashi asked, in complete worry.

"Aunt Cass knows nothing about our superhero ordeals," I said. "Don't worry. And she is unaffected, for the most part."

"She is running the café alright?" he asked further.

"Yes," I replied. "At least she has Mochi with her." Mochi was our family cat. He belonged to Aunt Cass, but once in a while we would play with him.

"I love her food!" the woman exclaimed. "She makes the best wings and doughnuts! I don't know what I would do throughout the day without them!" She bit into a chocolate doughnut just to show her enthusiasm, and Tadashi laughed.

"That's good to hear," I beamed. "Aunt Cass is the only family we have left…our parents died when we were really young, so she took care of us. Good care, if you ask us."

The woman's face fell. "Oh. But at least you two also have each other back."

"And after I thought you were dead all this time," I exclaimed in awe. I gave Tadashi another hug. "But bro, you stink."

"I told you he was starved and filthy," the woman warned me.

"Nah," Tadashi disagreed. "Maybe the filthy part I am, but some people have been sympathetic enough to give me food."

But something in Tadashi's eyes told me he was hiding something.

_You've got other things to worry about, Hiro,_ I chided myself. _Ask Tadashi about the things he hides later. Right now, he needs to get some extensive care._

I smiled and helped him up, though he was somewhat shaky on his feet. "Don't worry. I'll bring you back to my friends. We'll work something out." I turned to the woman. "I got this under control. Thank you for letting me know."

"Any time, dear," she replied. "And God bless you and your brother."

"Thank you, miss," Tadashi and I thanked her, waving farewell.

We walked to where my friends are in complete silence, Tadashi leaning on me for support. They seem to be talking among themselves in very low voices. Then the moment I saw them, I cleared my throat.

"Guys," I said, looking at each and every one of them in the eye. "Guess who's here."


	5. Chapter 5--OMG

Chapter 5—OMG!

The effect was immediate as they turned to stare at the bedraggled Tadashi.

"Is it just my worn out monster eye, or is that Tadashi?" Fred asked, lifting the extra eye from his costume and revealing his face. He even squinted just to confirm that he wasn't going blind.

"Oh my God! TADASHI!" Honey Lemon squealed, hugging him. "Is that really you?"

"Hey Honey Lemon," Tadashi smiled, returning the hug. "Yeah, it's me, alright."

"Tadashi is here," Baymax remarked, and I grinned. I remembered when Tadashi was gone, he would always say that to try and make me feel better. Back then I was overwhelmed with Tadashi's disappearance that I would reject his words, but Baymax has technically become a new Tadashi ever since. Baymax has been taking really good care of me. And now that Tadashi is actually here, I have to agree with him.

"Yep," I agreed. "Tadashi is here."

After Tadashi got to spend some quality time with his friends, he looked at Baymax. "Whoa," he said in awe. "I can't believe it…"

"Hello, Tadashi," Baymax said, briefly returning to his health care state and waving.

"Baymax, you look amazing! You actually look pretty sick," Tadashi said in awe.

"I cannot be sick. I am a robot," Baymax pointed out. "However, you look very sick. I will scan you now."

After the brief scan, Baymax told him, "You are suffering from famine, and you have a really bad black eye. You also have several deep epidermal abrasions. I recommend some intensive care with me."

Tadashi laughed. "Baymax, I knew you got my back somehow. I trust you, bro."

"I have been taking good care of Hiro since you were gone," Baymax told him. "Hiro has been a very good friend and patient. I hope you are satisfied with the care I gave Hiro."

"As long as Hiro is happy, I am happy too," Tadashi smiled, giving Baymax a hug despite the armour.

"How did you survive?" Wasabi inquired.

Tadashi relayed the entire story to the group, but looking at him, I felt that he was hiding something from them that he wouldn't tell. What secret is he hiding from them? I'll probably ask him while he's recovering. He doesn't look too good standing on both feet.

"We should probably head back to campus then," I said.

"But what about me?" Tadashi inquired, gesturing to his entire body. "I don't know if everyone knows I'm still alive. And besides, where can I stay should I go back to the Institute?"

"We'll find somewhere, don't worry," Honey Lemon assured him, smiling at him. "I'm pretty sure the hospital wing at the Institute would take you in. They'll still remember you as one of their students."

I smiled at the group. "Okay Baymax. Just carry Tadashi in your hands, but don't squish him. Now let's get back to the Institute. I'll take over from here." With that, we flew back to the Institute and immediately sent Tadashi to the hospital wing.

The next few days went slowly. While the rest of my friends were down in their labs busily engaged their different projects, I was worried about Tadashi. I didn't want him to actually die from his injuries. Who knew how long he sustained them?

"Don't worry, Hiro," Krei commented, when he came in one day to look at my progress of reproducing all of my microbots to put in the market (and he promised that he wouldn't use them for any criminal motives). "You should be glad that Tadashi is alive and not gone as we all thought. It's a bit like how Callaghan finally got his daughter back from that faulty portal. Be glad you got your brother back. There is no need to worry."

But his words didn't make me feel any better.

Every day, I passed by the new building on campus that was meant to be built for Tadashi. It still wasn't finished—in fact, every time I see it, it gave me a pang of sadness in the chest. When Tadashi returned, I thought the pang would have a lesser impact. I was wrong. Now that I found out that Tadashi was alive, building this new building on campus would seem really wrong. This building was meant to be in memory of Tadashi. How weird it would be for Tadashi to look at the building and—no. I can't finish this thought at all.

Baymax noticed how down I looked lately. "Do you want to see Tadashi?" he asked me one day, several days after Tadashi has been taken to the hospital, just as I was finishing up the last crate of microbots for Krei in the garage.

"Sure," I replied, stretching. "I really need something to make me feel happy again."


	6. Chapter 6--the hospital wing

Chapter 6—At the hospital wing

Baymax led me to the hospital wing in the Institute, where I saw Tadashi lying on one of the beds. He had a couple bandages here and there, but his burns and bruises were getting better, and his cuts were almost gone. His hair was at least getting less messy, his face more recognizable. At that moment he was just lying down, somewhat asleep.

"Hey Tadashi," I greeted him, coming over and shaking him up gently.

"Hey Hiro," Tadashi said, smiling wearily. "Have a seat."

I sat down in the chair next to his bed. "Is Baymax taking care of you okay?"

"Yep," Tadashi grinned. "Never felt better since that night. It was definitely hard to move around properly." He sat up with a lot of effort. "How are you doing?"

"Worried about you, but alright," I answered. "Just gave Krei an agreement to actually put my microbots in the market. He said he wouldn't do anything bad, like Callaghan did. But it's just so that Krei Tech can get back to business after most of the building had been destructed in the portal."

"I trust Krei," Tadashi said. "You were right initially not to give them to him, but I couldn't imagine Professor Callaghan using them as his weapon of choice or something to get back at you."

"He had to vent his revenge in a way," I told him. "He did lose his daughter, after all. Or almost lost her."

"But she's back now," Tadashi smiled. "And Callaghan is in jail for life."

"That's right." I grinned.

Baymax waddled over to Tadashi's bed. "Would you like some soup, Tadashi?"

"That would be great, thank you Baymax," Tadashi replied.

"How about you, Hiro?"

"Sure," I answered. "Thanks, Baymax."

Baymax waddled away to prepare us some soup, and then Tadashi turned to me.

"Hey Hiro," he said quietly, "I have something to tell you. While I was in that alley for the first few months, someone actually has been helping me get food and stuff so that I don't starve. Somehow she knew I was still alive. But I have never seen her face before she first showed up after that incident."

"Is she new to San Fransokyo?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Well, technically. She came from a place called Canada. Her name is Karen."

"Karen…now that's a name I haven't heard of," I remarked. "Not very common around here either."

"Guess not." He sighed and leaned back, his head crashing into the pillows. "Anyway, a couple days after the incident, she walked by and probably saw me looking really weak and tired. So she asked me, 'Hey, are you okay?' but by then I was so weak I could only groan. I was at the point of giving up, but with her help I managed to get back up again. She fed me a bit of food, then sat beside me and said, 'tell me everything. Take your time.'

"And so I did. I told her about my past, the whole incident with the fire at the institute, and I told her how guilty I was to have abandoned you. But then she did something surprising. While most people just ignore me after I told my story—like, literally get up and walk away with an air of disgust-she grasped my hand and said, 'don't worry, I'm not going to abandon you. We'll get through this together. I've got lots of time on my hands to visit you. I'll do whatever I can to make sure you're happy again.'

"I believed her. I thought I was actually going to be happy for the rest of my life. She visited me every day with lots of good food to eat, most of them from her place. We chatted like good old friends, and most of my troubles have been alleviated. But then one day she disappeared. Told me she had to start her first year of university back where she lived. I started to sink into the gloom again. I felt guilty again." He stared off into the distance. "I wish I can see her again."

I looked at him. "Are you crazy?"

"No! I mean, well, I have seen Honey Lemon as a great friend, and surprisingly she has seen me as way more than that. I don't mind it, but I have to break it to her. I really admire Karen's will. She's so strong, and she never broke her promise. The day before she left for university, she gave me her phone number which I still have in my pocket." He brought it out and handed the slip of paper to me.

I looked at it. "Okay…and you don't HAVE a phone. I don't think you do anymore."

Tadashi blushed. "Um…I can always use our home phone. Anyway, that's not the point. I…" His voice trailed off for a moment as he stared off into the distance. "I just want to see her again, if only for another day. She's sweet, funny, always on the ball, and very caring. Maybe when I get better I would do that." He smiled. I didn't know what to say.

Baymax then showed up with our bowls of soup. It was miso soup, my favourite. As I started to dig in, Baymax said, "Tadashi, you also have a visitor."

"Oh, really? Who is it?" he asked, setting his bowl of soup to the side.

A shadowy figure of a girl emerged behind Baymax. She was tall and somewhat fair, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. She was older than me but looked slightly younger than Tadashi. That day she was wearing a hoodie and jeans and a pair of Nike high-tops. She held in her hands a piece of paper—maybe another note—and her phone. Her backpack was slung on her back casually. To me she looked like a mix of Honey Lemon and Gogo Tomago—tall and outgoing and smart like Honey Lemon, but tough and fierce like Gogo.

Tadashi's eyes widened. The girl smiled.

"Tadashi Hamada. I thought I'd never see you again," she said, grinning.


	7. Chapter 7--Karen

Chapter 7—Karen

For a moment I thought I felt it. Love was in the air. Or was it just something in Tadashi's face that I can't register properly yet?

"Karen!" Tadashi cried, surprised. "But how—how-"

"Oh, it was simple." She sat on the bed beside Tadashi, on the opposite side of where I was sitting. "I was in the café not too long ago, talking with your Aunt Cass. She told me how she had you and Hiro to look after, and then she told me that both of you are at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Apparently the news finally went out that Tadashi Hamada is alive. When I saw the picture on the front page, I knew it was the same homeless person I was taking care of. But by then I was back in Canada and I didn't have time to visit. You never know how busy university life can get. Thank god it doesn't snow here as much in San Fransokyo. I came back here just for a while, it's Christmas break where I live right now. Anyway, so I asked Aunt Cass afterwards for directions to this hospital wing, and here I am." Then she looked at me. "You must be Hiro!"

"Yeah, I am," I said. "And you look really pretty." Wait, what made me say that?

"Aw, thanks!" she smiled. "Tadashi told me all about you. I'm really proud with what you did."

Tadashi looked at her. "Hey, what's that in your hand?"

"Oh, it's the newspaper article of your revival," she said. She handed it to me just as Baymax returned. "No one actually believed me when I told them that I met you. In fact, they never heard of anything called San Fransokyo. They thought I was crazy. But I said 'well I can't blame you, it's way better than I have seen in my dreams'. Still can't believe I get to visit here sometimes."

"But how did you get here?" I asked.

"This awesome scientist I know built a portal that could take me to San Fransokyo." Karen's eyes glowed brightly as Tadashi took her hand-gently. "So upon the completion of the construction of the portal last summer, I came here and I was just walking around when I saw Tadashi. Actually, back then, I didn't really know who he was until I approached him. Back home I wasn't allowed to visit any homeless man because my parents would go crazy, me talking with a stranger. I was going to ignore him but I found it weird that there would only be that one homeless guy there. Someone had to help. So yeah, I approached him and started chatting with him about a whole lot of things. I visited him every day. And then the day before I had to leave for university I gave Tadashi my phone number. I didn't know how busy I would get in university—I heard about so many exams and assignments, and I didn't want to be kicked out! And sometimes I wonder whether my parents know where I have really gone. Sometimes I feared that the portal would just break down on me and stop working." She paused for breath.

"I can see why," Baymax said, joining in on our conversation. "A portal would be harmful sometimes if you are still in it and it goes faulty. Krei's portal went faulty once, and Callaghan almost lost his daughter. But we got her back." He blinked and looked at us intently.

"Yes Baymax, I guess you're right." She sighed. "The scientist warned me that if the portal broke down, I would never be able to go anywhere unless San Fransokyo opened a portal for me to enter. So far I've been getting away pretty lucky, but then again, machines are meant to have flaws. They aren't always flawless. Anyway, the last time I saw Tadashi was actually in the middle of October. It was a long holiday for us then, so we all went home, and that was when I got back to San Fransokyo and kept Tadashi going." She grinned. "I'm glad that Tadashi is getting good treatment though."

"Do you like Tadashi?" I asked her, simply curious.

"Tadashi is quite the gent, in my opinion," she told me thoughtfully. "He's different from the other men I have ever met. Maybe a bit stinky and stuff, but honestly really nice on the inside. He is also quite understandable of me and so I have never been happier throughout the entire summer before I left for university."

"I'm really glad to hear that," I said. "You and Tadashi seem to go really well together."

Tadashi squeezed her hand gently, which made her flash a smile at him.

I smiled as I looked down and took a quick glance at the headlines that Karen gave me. Somehow everyone knew that Tadashi was alive…probably the woman told the police after I brought him here. I was overjoyed with his revival too, but that's probably expected since I am his brother. But the headlines under that were the ones that caught my attention: CONVICTED PROFESSOR ON THE RUN.

I narrowed my eyes. Hang on…how long had it been since Professor Callaghan has been in jail?


	8. Chapter 8--Callaghan's escape

Chapter 8—Callaghan's escape

"Hey guys, did you see this?" I asked them, holding out the small slip of paper.

Tadashi and Karen peered at the paper. Then Karen gasped.

"Oh no," she said, grabbing it back. "I was just going to warn you about that. I have the rest of the paper in my backpack. Let me look for it. My mom would probably think I was crazy to bring a newspaper to see you but I felt it necessary. After all, your Aunt Cass did give it to me."

She took her backpack off and rummaged through it. There really wasn't a lot in her bag…just a pad of paper, a pencil case, a water bottle, and a cell phone, and…did I just see a remote control? I think it's for the portal. After a bit of time, she took out the rest of the newspaper and handed it to me.

"Is something wrong?" Baymax asked us.

"Yeah," I told him, flipping through the newspaper and finding the article near the middle of the paper. "Guys, here's what it says.

"'CONVICTED PROFESSOR ON THE RUN

"'_News had been going around that Mr. Robert Callaghan, formerly professor at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, has escaped from prison last Sunday for no known cause. The means of his escape are unknown._

"'_Mr. Callaghan had also previously attempted, just a couple months ago, to wreak havoc with a large mass of stolen mini__ature__ flying robots, controlling them with telepathy to destroy Krei Tech, run by Mr. Alistair Krei. This plan has been stopped by a group of unknown teenagers._

"'_It has been said by an anonymous citizen that after the destruction of the mini flying robots, Callaghan is probably up to something bigger, thus managing to break out of prison. His whereabouts are currently unknown. If you see any signs of him, please call the San Fransokyo police department immediately.'"_

Of course this would be written by the police department. They wouldn't believe me when I told them about his thievery of my microbots, but that wasn't the thing that annoyed me. I glanced at the image. The prison was completely destroyed, with a gaping hole on one side of the building. None of my microbots would have been strong enough to create that bad of damage, but who knows what Callaghan could be up to.

"This makes no sense," Tadashi exclaimed, taking the paper back and scanning the article quickly. "Callaghan was only in jail for a couple of months."

"But for a robotics genius like him, you never know what he would be up to," Karen pointed out.

I shrugged. "Probably. Maybe he got something along the lines of my microbots?" I knew now wasn't the time to joke, but it could be possible. What if Callaghan was so impressed with my microbots at the showcase, he decided to come up with his own? Somehow he knew how the technology worked without me telling him.

"So Professor Callaghan escaped from his confinements?" Baymax asked.

"Afraid so," I said. "We don't know exactly how he did it, though. We're just discussing on what he could have done to get out of prison."

"We have already terminated Hiro's tiny robots," Baymax said, confused. "Professor Callaghan is in jail now. What could he possibly do?"

"I don't know, buddy," I answered. "We were thinking that he could have created something bigger than my microbots, but I don't know where he could get the supplies."

"You can never create a bad bot, really," Tadashi said. "It depends on what you use, though. Maybe somehow he got a lot of interesting materials to build them? After all, he loves to create robots. I see him do it all the time when I was in school. That's where I got the inspiration to create Baymax." He patted Baymax on the arm.

"So you're thinking that Callaghan created something even more dangerous with whatever he could find in his prison cell?" Karen asked, worried. "He is no good guy. I learned that the hard way."

"So did I," I told her. "He was a world-renowned robotics genius. How he became villainous all of a sudden is the main question."

"Wait, Callaghan escaped?"

I looked around. Wasabi dropped by Tadashi's bed looking concerned. "Hiro, I had my doubts about him, and you said it wasn't him who was begging for your forgiveness."

"I didn't expect him to escape, though!" I cried. "I thought…I just thought…"

Callaghan escaped. Callaghan escaped. Callaghan broke out of jail and escaped.

I began to cry. I felt bad for doing that, especially since Tadashi's supposed death. But then I felt Baymax wrap his arms around me and I felt better instantly, the tears ceasing to flow down my face.

"It's not your fault," Karen said, lifting my face to hers with one hand. "I can't let you take blame. But whatever it is Callaghan is coming back for, we need to be prepared."

"I agree with…her." Wasabi faltered as he realized that he didn't know Karen.

"I'm Karen," she introduced herself, sticking her hand out. "Temporary visitor to San Fransokyo. I came from Canada."

Wasabi shook her hand. "Wasabi No Ginger, at your service," he bowed.

Karen nodded. "Okay then. We should probably start acting on this strange occurrence right away."

Suddenly it felt as though my need for me to stop feeling guilty about Callaghan's escape has become a meeting for a plan of action. At least now I felt useful.

"Karen, I know you're kind of new to what we do, so let me explain." I then told her that we were meant to help out the citizens of San Fransokyo under an anonymous name. She grinned.

"Hey, I know it sounds crazy," she said, "but can I help you guys as well?"

"I wanna help too!" Tadashi cried, before sinking back into the pillows. "Ow. Well, maybe not yet."

Everyone laughed.

"Okay then. Here's the plan."


	9. Chapter 9--at the Lucky Cat Cafe

Chapter 9—wait, what?

"Callaghan escaped?"

"Oh no."

"We're under attack from that super villain—wait, AGAIN?!"

Those were the respective reactions from the rest of our friends—Honey Lemon, Gogo Tomago, and Fred-when we told them what happened while we were at Aunt Cass's café a couple days later, after they had finally finished their projects. And as one can probably imagine, they couldn't bear to think that Callaghan has just become more dangerous, seeing that he was the respected head of the Robotics department at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Karen joined us that day while Tadashi was still in the hospital with Baymax giving him a final checkup, and after the round of introductions, we got straight to business.

"We just thought that Callaghan could have created something that causes more damage than Hiro's microbots," Karen told them, picking up a chocolate doughnut. "Mm, your Aunt makes awesome doughnuts."

"Hey guys!" Aunt Cass joined in on our conversation, sitting down at one of the empty chairs. "How are my favourite peeps today?"

"Hey Aunt Cass," I greeted her. "Everything's going great; we're just talking about random things. You know, the gossip and whatnot."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that everyone's okay." Then she turned towards Karen. "And who do we have here?"

Karen smiled. "Hello. My name is Karen. I'm just a temporary visitor to San Fransokyo, and one of Hiro's friends. We had a conversation about Tadashi, remember?"

"Oh yes! I remember now! I'm glad to be of your service," Aunt Cass said. "And I'm glad you like my doughnuts."

"It's even better than the ones they sell back home," karen grinned as she took another bite from one of Aunt Cass's famous chocolate doughnuts, the butter cream filling from the inside of the doughnut creating a small mustache on her chin.

We all laughed.

"Well, if you guys need anything, let me know," Aunt Cass chirped. She got up and began to take care of all the rest of the present clients.

Just then, Tadashi and Baymax came in. It seemed like Tadashi has pretty much recovered completely and looked so much better—more recognizable. And where did he get his hat? Baymax probably brought it from my room at the Institute. Tadashi sat down where we were, between me and Clara, and Baymax just remained standing.

"Oh wow," Tadashi murmured in awe, looking around at everyone who was present in the cafe. "No one actually bothered looking at me…especially since after I made the headlines."

"I think Callaghan is our main priority. Or to put it in better words, everyone's priority," Gogo said, grabbing her coffee and draining it down. "Ugh, I need more caffeine in my system. I haven't had much sleep lately." She called for Aunt Cass to refill her coffee, which Aunt Cass happily obliged in an instant.

Fred took one of the hot wings set on the table and took a big bite in it. It seems like he was the only one who doesn't mind the spiciness. "So, if Callaghan has something else even more dangerous up his sleeve, we should probably look out for any weird movements going on around here. Whatever the case, he could be after Hiro, especially since he had the idea of destroying his microbots."

"I won't mind Callaghan just going out on probation," Karen said, taking Tadashi's hand under the table, which he didn't mind. "At least, if you're on probation, any sign of criminal action would throw you back into the sanction. That's how the law worked if you're back in Canada, though I'm not sure about here. But if he escaped without any kind of probationary motion passed, then this could very well be trouble."

"I think the law works the same here," Wasabi told her. I could see that everyone except Karen and Tadashi tried hard to stifle their giggles, especially since when he mentioned "the law", the memory of the car chase against Yokai was brought up in my mind. "There could be people going to jail for breaking the laws, like going bot fighting in illegal areas…"

"Okay, I think we got the idea," I interrupted him, waving my hands in surrender. "The point is, this is probably Callaghan's first time in jail, and who knows what could happen. This guy I went bot fighting against the first and last time, Yama—I think he got a life sentence and never came out of prison. I'm not surprised, I'll be honest. Thankfully Tadashi stopped me from bot fighting, or else I would probably end up in Yama's situation."

Honey Lemon looked her best not to scream right now. She took a deep breath. "I don't disagree with you Hiro. Karen's right. Callaghan is a dangerous person after all. I thought we could trust him, but I was wrong. Actually, we were all wrong, except for Karen and Baymax. I think."

Baymax blinked. "It's okay," he said. "I knew how evil Callaghan is, but all I care about is everyone's health." He looked at Karen and Tadashi. "It seems like your hormone levels are elevating slowly."

Tadashi stared at Baymax, then turned to Honey Lemon. "Honey Lemon, it's not what you think, me and Karen. Don't worry—we're just friends."

Honey Lemon nodded bitterly. I personally thought she wasn't convinced.

"That aside, though," Tadashi said, "whatever Callaghan is using, we've got to be careful."

Just then, a siren went off in Aunt Cass's café. Everyone started to freak out and scurry all over the place. Aunt Cass was trying her best to calm everyone down, but people started to run out of the building, taking their food with them and leaving their tips on the table. By the time the smoke cleared and the noise stopped, everyone was gone except for us and Aunt Cass.

"What was that?" Wasabi asked quietly, in shock.

I only had one answer. The siren was still wailing, and wherever I looked, people were all running for their lives. Only one person would be causing so much havoc amongst San Fransokyo. And that person would be-

"Callaghan," Karen said, before I could open my mouth. "He has come."


	10. Chapter 10--Let's go!

Chapter 10—let's do this!

"I know it's kind of weird," I told Karen and Tadashi. "But we got to go and get our armour. We've got to stop Callaghan again."

"Come on!" Tadashi complained. "Hiro, I only had you back for such a short time. I'm not going to lose my little brother to Callaghan's trick."

"But why else would he bring on such a storm amongst us?" Gogo asked. "He's clearly come for Hiro."

Karen looked absolutely worried as she let go of Tadashi's hand, came over and gave me a hug. "Hey Hiro, even though I barely know you, you're one of the strongest people I have ever met. Just remember, if you feel like giving up, look for a new angle." She let me go. "Just something I took from Tadashi. Now go out there and punch Callaghan in the face for me."

I let go just to see her face one last time. I think she and Tadashi seemed to be a better pairing than Tadashi and Honey Lemon, to be honest. I hope if I come back alive, I get to see them again as a happy couple or something.

I swallowed my fear and nodded. "Thanks Karen. Come on, then," I motioned for the rest of the six to follow me. "And Tadashi, Karen—I'll be fine."

Aunt Cass noticed us leaving. "Guys, I can't let you leave. You're safe here."

"Aunt Cass, we're sorry," I said. "But we have to get back to the institute. We've worked something out. Don't worry, we'll be safe."

Aunt Cass looked worried, but then she gave everyone a hug—even Karen, whom she barely knew.

"Tadashi, bring Karen to your room and stay there," she instructed. "The rest of you—you'd better run if you don't want Callaghan taking over the Institute." She looked at me again and smiled. "Last hug!"

"Thanks, Aunt Cass," I smiled. Then my friends and I were out of there, running as fast as we could to the Institute. Of course, Wasabi had to pull Baymax along because, as Baymax once proclaimed, "I am not fast." As we left, I heard Tadashi say, "Let me see where Mochi is."

Oh dear. I still haven't gotten the chance to see Mochi yet, after Tadashi has been relocated. I still feel guilty for throwing him up the stairs to hide the fact that Baymax was in our house, but Aunt Cass was okay with Baymax around, and I still haven't apologized to Mochi. Well, I hope I actually survive this final battle. I don't want to lose anyone on my team, and I value my life just as I value—well, anyone's.

The entire city was mayhem. Cars were flying all over the place and crashing into each other while huge robots bigger than the skyscrapers started picking up the trolley cars and banging them together. People in those trolley cars jumped down to the road and got saved by falling mattresses from their beds (which is kind of abnormal since mattresses normally don't survive many falls). Children were screaming for their lives and running all over the place. Lots of debris fell from the tops of the buildings to the ground. San Fransokyo was starting to lay itself in ruins.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw that woman again running toward me. But just where have I seen that face before? Ugh… I could swear to god she looked so familiar…

"Hello Hiro," she greeted me. "Okay, so the homeless man I told you about earlier is your brother, right? TELL ME THAT MASKED MAN UP THERE IS NOT YOUR BROTHER EITHER!"

I looked up. "Masked man?" Then I saw what she meant.

Somehow, Professor Callaghan/Yokai was able to recreate the idea of controlling my microbots with a neurotransmitter, but this time with huge robots the size of dinosaurs stomping all over the place breathing out lots of fire. He was even riding on one. There were also many robots about the size of humans walking through the streets like zombies, scaring everyone in San Fransokyo, adults and children alike. Newly created microbots were also flying all over through the streets, destroying a lot of buildings powerful blow after blow and transporting people to different places with sheer force and speed. How could one guy control so many things at once? It's like controlling an entire army with one brain, one running force. And as for those innocent citizens…they don't deserve to be traumatized like this.

"No no no, this guy is not my brother," I told her. "That's Professor Callaghan!"

"That crazy old lunatic," she said. "Well, you got the rest of your group and your brother, if he wants to help. I'm going back in my house to save myself and my sanity. But before I do that, I should probably tell you why he's acting like this. Come with me back to my house. It won't be long, I promise."

I looked at my friends. "You guys go without me. Baymax, you can fly on your own, can you?"

Baymax looked at me. "Yes, I can fly. But it won't be the same without you."

"Just go!" I told them. "I'll be back. I promise. I just have to let the woman speak."

Everyone else ran for the San Fransokyo Institute while I followed the woman to her house. Once we got inside she gestured for me to sit in the parlour, which I did.

"I should have known," she said, sitting down on a couch. "All this time, I thought I could trust him too. I looked up to him as a father, as a role model, growing up." She looked at me. "Hiro, I am Abigail Callaghan. Thanks for saving me from the portal."

I gasped.


	11. Chapter 11--Abigail's story

Chapter 11—Abigail's story

"But—how—when—" I stammered, trying to look for the right words. No wonder she looked so familiar!

"I was released from the hospital a couple weeks ago, actually," she said. "The nurses thought I was fine, so I went home, only to realize that my father had been arrested. I lived in this house, alone, for weeks on end. Then one night, I thought I was hearing things. I heard someone say 'Hiro, I'm sorry', over and over again in the night. I wasn't sure if that was my father. So one day I went to investigate. Turned out that the man was not my father, but someone younger. I didn't recognize him, so I wasn't sure whether or not I could take him in or leave him out there. That's why I called you. That's so I could confirm whether or not I could trust that man. And I guess I could. I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to say thank you for saving me."

"It's fine, really," I reassured her. "It's nothing."

"But how long have you been doing this?" she asked. "This whole 'saving San Fransokyo' thing?"

"A couple of months," I said. "It was in living memory of my brother, Tadashi. He wanted to help people, so that's what we have done. Just me and his friends, and his caregiving robot Baymax."

Abigail nodded. "I just don't get my father lately. I know he really cared for me, but when he got out of that prison—I don't understand why he didn't get to me. He should be able to understand that I was home…" She was trying hard not to cry. "I think he wanted to cover his tracks, though. And when I just saw what he had done, I regretted trusting him." She blinked back tears. "Now I don't know what to feel."

I stared. Again, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I got Tadashi back and we were still the best of friends. Abigail and her father reunited, but things were never the same for the both of them. I got her a tissue from the kitchen and gave it to her.

"Lately I have been hearing rumours from everyone else, as I got into the streets," she continued. "They said that my father must have been going insane. Your continuous presence in his sleep made him lose his mind. I heard rumours that he was creating bigger robots to destroy San Fransokyo just to get at you. He wanted to exploit your weak spots and get rid of you AND your brother. Why that is, I don't know. That's why I pulled you in today before you join the rest of your friends on your fight. My father is not an easy person. Just be careful."

"My friends and I are actually going to stop Callaghan this time," I told her. "Don't worry. We're going to try and reason with Callaghan. We'll stop this from happening ever again, I promise." I'll be honest, though, I'm surprised it didn't work out the first time, even if we got his only consolation back. I even had to sacrifice Baymax to get Abigail out, but it didn't work out for him, didn't it. What more of a sacrifice do I have to perform this time?

"I hope you do," she told me. A watery smile formed on her lips, and she wiped the rest of her tears away. "I wish I can help you, but I don't have any fancy costumes or armour or anything that can hold the bots back."

"I'll think of something," I said.

"There is no time." She gave me a hug. "And I think Tadashi's coming—wait, who's that girl?"

I looked out the window. Two people were heading over—riding along on Tadashi's moped.

Tadashi got off the moped and headed to the front door, Karen just behind him. "Hey Hiro! You wanna go bot fighting?" he called, opening the front door.

I stared at them. Both Tadashi and Karen upgraded themselves using the tech in our garage. It seemed like Tadashi was getting better at this whole robotics thing now without having any of his inventions go faulty. Tadashi had some protective armour in a silver colour that allowed him to deflect fire and control the earth so that some of the bigger bots could be buried in holes that go straight to the core of the earth. Karen's pale blue armour was more lightweight so that she could kick some serious "bot", but I saw a button on the side of her armour that enabled her to become invisible. Both of them had jetpacks on their backs to enable flight, but only for a short while.

"Wow, you guys look pretty awesome," I said. The two of them beamed.

"Hey," Abigail greeted them. Then she turned towards me. "Actually you know what, count me in," she said, bringing out all of her bots from a storage closet and retrieving a remote control. "I know exactly what to do. But just remember—my father can be hard to reason sometimes. Just be very careful."

I nodded at her. "Well, good luck, Abigail." Then I turned to Tadashi and Karen. "I actually gotta change for this first."

"Understood," Karen nodded. She pressed the button on her armour that made her turn invisible, and we all got on the moped and rode toward the Institute just in time to see our friends battle all of the robots in San Fransokyo. Soon I will join them. Side by side, we will help Callaghan realize his wrongdoings. Soon, we will stop him. I hope this time, we make a lasting impact on Callaghan that would help him remember who he once was.


	12. Chapter 12--Baymax's pep talk

Chapter 12—Baymax's pep talk

The moment we got to the Institute, I got off the moped, hurried into the institute, located my suit, and struggled into it. I felt really bad leaving the rest of my friends to fight Callaghan, but I had to hear what Abigail had to say. I wonder who help put Baymax's suit on. The good thing was, at least Abigail gave me enough information to carry into battle.

"We better hurry," Karen said, as soon as I came out with my armour all set. She briefly turned visible again. "Where's Baymax?"

Just as she said those words, Baymax flew over and landed right beside me.

"That enhanced scanner is working well, isn't it?" I asked Baymax. "Now you can track wherever we are."

Baymax blinked. I guess he agrees. "Get on, Hiro. There's something you should see."

I climbed onto Baymax's back and we flew away, while Tadashi and Karen activated their jet packs and took off to find the first of Callaghan's bots that wasn't defeated. As we soared in the sky, I saw that some people stayed outside kicking some serious "bot", while other people were running for what was left of cover. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some of Abigail's bots fighting the zombie-like ones, slicing them up and breaking their operative mechanisms.

I nodded to myself in approval. So far, it was going well.

Honey Lemon and Fred teamed up, creating lots of smoke first to confuse the zombie bots and cause them to lose their senses before Fred came in with the fiery kill that burned their control units. I saw Gogo and Wasabi moving through the huge throng of microbots faster than they did before, the first time we successfully defeated Callaghan, slicing them up into small pieces so that they were unable to move around anymore. Gogo had Karen's remote control (I think Karen gave it to her before she and Tadashi started attacking the bots) and the microbots were sucked up in an empty vacuum. As for Tadashi and Karen—well I couldn't see Karen, but Tadashi's new powers enabled him to trap the bigger bots into the dirt, while someone bashed their brains in the air and knocked them out. I suppose that was Karen. Her invisibility was working fairly well.

"HIRO HAMADA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Callaghan boomed. "SHOW YOURSELF OR FACE YOUR DOOM!"

Oh no. Did he really have to ask for me right now?

Baymax looked at me uncertainly. "Your heart rate is accelerating. You must be scared."

"I am!" I cried. "I don't know how I seem to haunt him so much, though. It's worse than Tadashi's case. What should I do?"

Baymax landed on a nearby roof. We sat down to think.

"Is sacrificing yourself what your friends want?" Baymax asked me.

I gave it some thought. That never crossed my mind before. "I—well, I don't know…sometimes I question my loyalty to my friends, but it seems like I value my own life just as much as I value theirs." Then I told Baymax everything that Abigail told me.

Baymax listened intently before thinking. "See what Professor Callaghan wants. Fight if you need to. The whole city is relying on you." He paused before continuing. "Abigail is right. Callaghan is no longer a normal and healthy person. It would be difficult to reason with a distressed and angry person. But try your best. I know you can do it."

I took a shaky breath. The rest of my friends seemed to be doing really well, but I had to finish the job. "Baymax, you've once sacrificed yourself for my safety in the portal rescuing Abigail. Now it's my turn—for everyone in San Fransokyo." I wasn't prepared. Tears began to spring from my eyes, flowing slowly down my cheeks. I had no heart to wipe them away. Would anyone care for me the same way they did Tadashi before I found him?

"You would do well," Baymax said. "It's your turn to make peace with Callaghan and restore happiness in San Fransokyo. No one would forget you. What you would do is a true hero's act." He paused again before saying the last words I remembered him saying in the portal, before we had to say goodbye forever. "I will always be with you."

"Thank you Baymax. Me too," I told him, giving him one last hug before climbing up his back and making the flight to where Callaghan was standing. He was standing on top of one of the supports of the Golden Gate Bridge, wreaking havoc on all the vehicles and even breaking all of the suspension cords, causing a lot of the debris to fall in the water with a huge splash.

"This is pretty serious!" I cried. "He's got to stop."

Baymax soared upward so that we were level with Callaghan, who stopped what he was doing just to face me. Once upon a time he had a white Kabuki mask on, and now the mask was pure gold, with the same designs on them. Other than that, he looked no different from the villain I once knew. And just looking at him, it reminded me of something that Clara told me back in the café—a bit like some weird guy called Hitler controlling the Nazis back in the olden days of the second world war. Oh geez. Don't get me there, I'm not ready for history yet. But that would be another story

"It's over, Callaghan," I called for his attention.

Callaghan turned to me, though he kept his attention on making the cars crash against each other with the microbots.

"So he has finally come," he said. "Hiro Hamada, robotics genius, hoping to be better than his brother."

"I don't want fame," I corrected him. "I just wanted my brother back. Now he's here."

"And so are you," he told me. "But soon you won't be. Say goodbye to everyone you once knew, everything you once had. The fate of the entire city lies in my hands. You won't even be alive to see it."

An army of huge dinosaur bots crept up behind him. I gulped as one of the bots closer to the front prepared to spit out a tongue of fire.


	13. Chapter 13--kicking some serious bot

**A.N.-okay I know some of these chapters need a bit more work because I previously posted this fanfic on Instagram, but please just beark it with me I'm going to fix most of this story. I promise. And I am also working on a sequel for this story so stay tuned! (PS I don't know how this A.N. is supposed to work...)**

Chapter 13—kicking some "bot"

"BAYMAX! LOOK OUT!" I screamed, as the first dinosaur bot spat out a tongue of flames close to where Baymax was hovering.

Baymax blinked once, then swerved to one side, barely dodging the tongue of fire.

"We are not playing tag anymore, Hiro!" Callaghan taunted me. "This is a full-scale, epic bot fight that you have NEVER fought in before!" He cackled. "Two bots enter, one bot leaves. And you and Baymax vs. me and all of those vicious bots, we're going to see who eventually gets the upper hand!"

I couldn't focus on Callaghan's words. I couldn't believe that Callaghan can multitask like that—control the bots so that they can fire on us wherever we were, and talk with us in accepting our defeat. Somehow he figured out that fire is now my biggest fear. But I'm not going to stand down.

Just then, I saw one of Abigail's bots fly straight at Callaghan's face. More of the same kind began to close in on Callaghan's face.

"What the—whaaaa!" Callaghan shrieked as the bots began attacking him on all sides trying to grapple at the mask.

From a distance I saw Karen and Tadashi head in our direction, as well as the rest of the team. Baymax and I landed on the unbroken road that was left of the bridge.

"Well?" I asked them.

"We got them," Fred said. "All the bots are destroyed—well, except for these ones." He pointed to the ones behind Callaghan's back. "At least, that's what everyone here told me. Abigail's bots are still mostly intact, so don't worry about them."

"We've got these handled," Honey Lemon assured us, grinning as she produced endless amounts of chemical bombs out of her periodic table purse. "Fred, you with me?"

"IT'S FRED TIME!" I heard Fred scream as he and Honey Lemon went to tackle the dinosaur bots near the left.

"Ready, Wasabi?" Gogo asked, turning to her partner.

"Let's do this!" Wasabi cried. "You're gonna dance with these!" I heard him scream as they tackled the dinosaur bots near the right.

"The bots in the middle are the most dangerous," Karen noted, turning visible again just so that I can see her. "I am no robotics genius, but I can tell from the way they are fuming that they are definitely preparing for another attack." She pointed at their nostrils, which were steaming. I have never seen a bot's nostrils before, and I'm pretty sure dinosaurs don't steam unless they are preparing for attack. If Clara is right, then we have to handle this, and handle it well.

"I sense that one of the bots have a small malfunction," Tadashi said. "If that's the case, its last moves could be pretty fatal. I'll handle that one with Clara."

"No," I said. "Callaghan's expecting you to die this time. I won't let you."

"But Callaghan needs you dead, too!" Karen protested. "No, rephrase that. HE WANTS YOU DEAD. Face it. Everyone here needs you. What would we do without you?" She came over to me and gave me another hug, but time was running out.

"I will take good care of Hiro," Baymax said. "It would be like me taking care of Tadashi. Do not worry. Go fight the better bot. Hiro and I would take the sick bot."

"Alright then," Tadashi relented, also coming over and ruffling my hair a little bit. "Good luck, little bro. This would be a fight that no one would forget."

"I thought you said that bot fighting was illegal?" I teased him.

"I guess this could be an excuse," Tadashi said with a wink. "At least, no one is betting on this fight." Then he and Karen activated their jet packs again and tackled the fully-repaired bot, while Baymax and I took on the slightly malfunctioned bot.


	14. Chapter 14--the final battle

Chapter 14—the final battle

I was glad that Abigail had her bots focused on Callaghan, because that got me and Baymax to hone in on that dinosaur bot. However, with Callaghan losing control of what his bots should be doing, the task proved to be more dangerous than ever. The dinosaur bot turned around in millions of circles, slashing its tail in the air in random directions. Baymax had to duck millions of times as a result and unfortunately, we couldn't get in a clear path for a proper attack. Apparently, we weren't the only ones with this problem.

Honey Lemon and Fred were doing well with burning the material of the dinosaur bots, but it was hard for them to get a clear aim without them getting hurt in the process. Gogo and Wasabi were doing slightly better since they could cut the material so that they have less to deal with, but with the irregular movements they could get hurt with one wrong move. Tadashi's earth control seems to ground everything about the dinosaur to the earth—literally, he was able to slam the dino in up to its waist—while Karen, obviously invisible, started to do some serious martial arts to bust its brains out. I'll be honest, I didn't know she could do martial arts. So really, Tadashi and Karen are doing really well out of all of us.

"Back kick," Baymax recited to himself as we neared the bot, now able to get a clear path for attack and performing the moves to actually get rid of it. "Side kick. Hammer first." He bashed the bot's head with his fist, but the bot didn't look too happy.

Suddenly, I heard Callaghan cackle. Abigail's bots must have been ridden of successfully. This was bad.

"YES!" he laughed. "NOW IT'S DESTRUCTION TIME!" He straightened the mask on his face and glared hard at me and Baymax, at Tadashi and Karen.

"Oh no," Baymax said. The dinosaur bot threw a huge piece of wood down towards our heads but Baymax deflected from the impact with his fist.

"Thanks," I told him. "Now see if you can aim for his head again. We need to get rid of his control unit."

Baymax launched at the dinosaur bot's head again and delivered a punch so hard that the metal folded itself into its body. Now what remained of the bot screamed and started to self-destruct so that the separate parts started flying in many different directions.

"Shrapnel! Look out!" I screamed. Baymax understood and ducked as the flying pieces of debris. Too much impact on his armour could be fatal as he could lose his abilities and upgrades. It had already happened once in Krei's portal. I don't want this to happen again!

When the last of the debris fell to the ground with a clatter and tinkle and a final BANG! I assessed the situation. The dinosaur bot we worked on was completely destroyed. More specifically, it destroyed itself due to that malfunction Tadashi warned us about. I understood that it acted out of behaviour, but didn't expect the result to be fatal. Tadashi did have malfunctions on Baymax but he could understand that. I suppose that's why he warned me about the malfunction here. I have never really seen them happen on this kind of robot before. Yikes.

As for the rest of the team—Honey Lemon and Fred's side were now destroyed. So were Gogo's and Wasabi's. However, Tadashi and Karen were still working on their dinosaur bot. I couldn't see Karen, but Tadashi was tiring out.

"HI YA!" Wasabi cried, running over and slicing the dinosaur in half. The dinosaur fell apart with a CLUNK on the ground.

Honey Lemon created one more chemical bomb that made the dinosaur bot explode into pieces that flew into the ocean, while Gogo wheeled herself over the pieces to officially flatten them and call them debris. Tadashi opened up another hole in the earth and thrust the remains of the bot into it.

Callaghan looked at us, shocked. "THIS IS NOT THE END!" he roared. We all turned to look at him. He held up one more robot, about as big as Mochi.

"This bot produces only one fireball with heat and size as strong as the sun," he said. "I have been saving this for last. Goodbye, Hiro and Tadashi. You could have proven to be excellent students at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. But now, all of San Fransokyo would be mourning for your REAL losses!"

He set the robot on his arm, took off high into the sky with hidden rocket boosters under his feet, took his aim, and fired. A small fireball began to emerge, then it grew in size until it was twice as big as Venus in that distance, and then I saw it descend to the earth like a fast-moving comet.

I stood my ground and stared him down, even if he was as tiny as a star in the sky. If I was going to die, it would be in defiance, it would be in true sacrifice, and it would be for the sake of saving my friends and all of San Fransokyo. At least this time, I have my brother with me.

_Goodbye, Aunt Cass,_ I began to think in my head. I needed to think of my last goodbyes, and hopefully they would be reached to them by our funerals. _Thanks for ten years of care. It wasn't for nothing. You have been one of my best friends and guardians, and I really enjoyed your hot wings. Goodbye Mochi, I'm sorry we never got a chance to reconcile. I hope you would forgive me for throwing you up the stairs that day. Goodbye to all the rest of my friends standing behind me—Honey Lemon, Gogo, Wasabi, Fred, Baymax, and Karen. Karen, I pass my ownership of Baymax to you. And hope you guys would be able to continue saving the world without me. And Abigail—thanks for letting me know that you're okay. I'm glad I saved you in the portal that other time. _I felt Tadashi's arms wrap around me in protection for the last time. At least we would both lose our lives for the sake of saving San Fransokyo.

"NO!" I heard someone shriek. I looked up just in time to see that the fireball was just within striking distance of me and Tadashi. I shielded my eyes, expecting the worst, but then a miracle happened. An invisible force pushed us aside just as the fireball made contact with the bridge and exploded with a BOOM!

I lost consciousness. Everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15--I Love You

Chapter 15—"I love you"

"Hiro. Hiro, are you okay?" A girl's voice shook me up gently.

I opened my eyes and sat up groggily. Pain flared in my arms, but I managed to push myself up to a sitting position. After I shook my head to clear my vision, I saw Gogo crouching down in front of me, a concerned look on her face.

"Fire," I muttered. "Fire-ball—wait, did it hit Tadashi?" I suddenly asked, alert. I didn't want him to die. I was scared of fire and I don't want Tadashi to die from fire. Not after the first time at the showcase. Even if his armour was fireproof, it could only be like that up to a certain extent.

"No," Gogo answered. "Tadashi's pretty much unscathed. But the fireball did hit someone."

I sat up and looked around. The rest of the team was hanging on to Baymax after the explosion, and he was hanging in midair to protect the others from crashing into the water below. A huge gaping hole has been created in the middle of the bridge as a result of the fireball explosion, and small fires have been peppered all around the bridge. But my eyes honed in on Tadashi, not too far from where I was sitting, kneeling down and weeping over a body that he held in his arms. His helmet lay just off to the side.

I was relieved to see that Tadashi was okay, but I have never seen Tadashi cry before. Tadashi was an example of an awesome older brother, so stable and capable of handling many things. He always looked on the bright side of things, and always stuck up for his best friends. He rarely broke down. But seeing him like that just now pained me. With Gogo's help, I got up and walked over to him. When I saw who he was crying over, I took off my helmet and began to sob too. Gogo did too. For the body that hung limply in Tadashi's arms belonged to Karen.

The others began to come in as well—Baymax carried Honey Lemon, Fred, and Wasabi, dropping them off to where Tadashi and I were, taking off their head gear in respect. The fire had destroyed the mechanism in Karen's suit that enabled her to become invisible so we were able to see how she looked. Her body was limp in Tadashi's arms, and her entire body was covered in soot and ash. Her eyes were closed. Seeing her in the condition that Tadashi was in when I saw him after his presumed death in that alley made us feel guilty. Her helmet was also blasted off her face. She sacrificed herself in front of that fireball so that Tadashi and I wouldn't die. I don't know how her family in Canada would handle it. Born a Canadian but died in San Fransokyo, a place that according to most people didn't exist—how could this happen? What would everyone even think?

Baymax waddled over and took off his helmet. "I would like to scan her," he told Tadashi.

Tadashi nodded and moved away as Baymax performed the scan. "She is in a very critical condition," Baymax concluded. "She is not dead, but I do not know any cure that would help her. The coma that she fell in is very deep."

"Kiss her."

I jumped. Professor Callaghan jumped down from the top of the bridge, took off his mask, and went over to Tadashi's side. I didn't even notice him descend from the sky. At that moment I felt like kicking him in the shin, but he was talking to Tadashi in a firm and assured way.

"I can't believe I did this," Callaghan said softly, weeping over Karen's body, an audible quaver in his voice. "Seeing her like this is what I feared—as if my daughter Abigail would end up having the same fate. And seeing Karen today, so fierce, so strong, even in invisibility…I can't believe she had to die like this. It's like attacking my own daughter to this condition, which I know I would never do but feared that someday I would. But I've seen this in fairy tales. I don't know if it would work here. If Baymax can't come up with a solution, I can only offer true love's kiss."

Tadashi looked uncertainly at Karen, Then he gazed at Honey Lemon, conflicted. "I don't even know if I love her," he sobbed, wiping his eyes on a handkerchief that Baymax supplied.

"I know you love her," Honey Lemon said, coming up to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "She loved you for your awesome personality. Trust me, everyone did. But it seems as though you two have shared a lot more than we did. I can sense a stronger connection between you two. It's okay, Tadashi. You don't have to torture yourself any more on who you love more. I'll find someone someday. Just kiss her, and live that happy ending."

Tadashi nodded, and looked at Karen as Honey Lemon backed away. I saw it too—her eyes were closed, her face smudged with soot, her armour mostly destroyed. He held her in his arms again, where she hung like a doll. If Tadashi didn't kiss her now, she'd die.

"Karen, stay with me," he whispered, bringing her close to him. "We'll get through this together. You said so yourself. I'm not giving up on you. You're a strong girl. I have faith in you. I will make you happy again, I promise." Then he whispered the last words so softly that no one could hear except for me. "I love you."

With that, he brought her lips to his and kissed her gently. Then he lowered her body and waited.

Honey Lemon began to cry on Fred's shoulder while he held her. Wasabi and Gogo were trying hard to keep themselves together, but it wasn't working. I stuck close to Baymax in case we need him again to provide a more detailed scan of her health, in case she didn't wake up. To be honest, I was scared. And Professor Callaghan stood by Tadashi, head bowed, as they waited for Clara to wake.

For a while, no one spoke. Karen showed no sign of revival for a couple seconds. Then her eyes fluttered open and she began to breathe again.

"T-Tadashi?" she asked weakly. "It's you, right?"

Tadashi smiled gently. "I'm with you. We'll get through this together."

Karen smiled back and gave him a big hug. We all breathed a sigh of relief. Fred and Wasabi cheered.

Then she saw Professor Callaghan, and her expression changed. "You—YOU almost killed them. Why?"

Professor Callaghan looked like he was going to cry too. "I-I just wanted revenge on what Hiro did to me the first time. I mean, I forgave him for saving my daughter Abigail from the portal, but I just wanted to get rid of the Hamadas to regain my sanity. Every night in that prison cell I felt like I was going insane with what I have done with Tadashi and with what I have almost done to Hiro and the rest of his friends. Reliving those moments in my dreams made me go crazy and I was losing sleep. So to occupy my time, every night I worked on making these huge robots to wreak havoc and get at the Hamadas. I didn't know you would end up being the one I almost got rid of." He wiped a tear that was flowing down slowly on his cheek. "I guess you taught me a good lesson, Clara. Revenge is not the way to go. You just have to ask someone for forgiveness."

I looked at my professor. Villainous as he may sometimes seem, he still is my professor and idol. "Professor Callaghan, it's okay. We forgive you. Just don't take my stuff without asking me first."

Professor Callaghan smiled. "I'm really sorry about that, Hiro. I heard you took Krei's offer, which I know you're going to make major profit out of. I know his company is going to soar again. I shouldn't have criticized Krei like that either, just because I thought he was the cause for losing my daughter. I greatly regret everything that I have ever done." With that, he threw his mask into a fire that was still burning, and the mask began to smoke.

"Professor Callaghan, I still look up to you as one of my favourite teachers," Tadashi told him. "You taught me so much. You've given my brother so much to hope for. And today you taught me—and hopefully yourself—just how important and love and friendship can be. Hiro's my best friend and confidant, just as I am his. I know we can get through this together. Just open up to what you have. Appreciate everything you have in this world. Don't let our presence desensitize you."

Karen smiled. "And don't forget, your daughter is worth just as much as anyone here. If you kill one of us, it's like killing one of your own. That's how I learned it with my new friends I made here—and back in my own university. Treat everyone like one of your own. Life's too short to not be able to appreciate what everyone has to offer." Just as she finished saying this, Tadashi kissed her again, which surprised her at first but which she happily accepted.

I grinned. Karen definitely had a way with words.

Professor Callaghan chuckled, and brought me and Tadashi (who was still holding Clara) close to him. "There is nothing that can come between us. You two are smart in robotics and strong in friendship. I guess from now on there's nothing that would drive me crazy—unless one of you creates a faulty robot."

"Professor, what about us?" Gogo inquired.

Professor Callaghan laughed. "I can't forget about you guys either! You guys are just as important as these three here." He gave everyone a hug, including Baymax. "I guess I've been changed for good. And at least I know my daughter is still alive and well."

With that, everyone laughed and walked back to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology together, Tadashi's arm around Clara so that she could walk. By the time we finally got off the bridge, the police started to chase him, but he ignored them. "I've changed for the better, thanks to the Hamada brothers," he told them. "Give me a chance to show everyone that I am not a criminal, and I won't behave like one ever again."

The police nodded. "If we see any more big bots walking around San Fransokyo causing massive panic, you're going to face greater charges than before." With that, they walked away.

"How about a gathering tonight at Aunt Cass's?" Karen suggested. "I think we can all use a bit of time to bond. We'll get Abigail to join us as well."

"Sounds good!" I agreed enthusiastically. "Come on guys!" Then I noticed Professor Callaghan look a little down.

"Come on, professor!" Tadashi eagerly encouraged him. "I'm sure you're going to love Aunt Cass's food!"

The professor smiled. "I'm in."

Tadashi flew over to Abigail's place and invited her, which she accepted. A couple moments later, she joined us. "Sounds like we're all having a celebration, eh?"

"You got it!" I cried enthusiastically. "Come on!"

"YEAH! Nothing's better than free food!" Fred cheered.

Then we all cheered and walked over to Aunt Cass's café without bothering to change out of our gear.


End file.
